Dependence symptoms and conditions

My daughter is 8 and was prescribed Singular AND Zyrtec for asthma/allergy maintenance. She's been on both meds for 7 months. I have seen a steady decline in her ability to learn. Prior to these meds, she knew her addition math facts. Now, she forgets simple equations (3 + 4). Her mind wanders, she is unable to focus, and homework that should take minutes takes hours.

In addition, her emotions are all over the place. My little girl who once loved nature and held wiggly earth worms in her hand now runs in terror from any bug. She is frightened of everything.A tiny scratch makes her emotionally distraught for hours. She obsesses over slights from friends and withdraws to her plush toys.

She's also created imaginary monster friends: werewolves, vampires, and other ghoulish creates. She tells me of the living dead who cut off part of your skull and eat your brain and so you become part of the living dead. This is from a child who has never seen, watched or been allowed to view a horror film of any kind, who still watches Noggin and PBS on TV, and who, 10 months ago, wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up.

Like others, the first symptoms were nightmares and night terrors. She also experienced itching, which I thought was due to her ballet leotard and tights (why do we look at everything but the meds?--because we trust the doctors!!!). Then, toward the end of school, came the stomach and headaches, so frequent, in fact, her teacher emailed me that my daughter was going to the school nurse too much and wanted to know if something was wrong. Her teacher also said my daughter seemed very spacey in class. No behavior problems. Just drifting. Very inattentive.

Like others, my daughter had her tonsils removed prior to going on these meds. Like others, my daughter was seeing a specialist--a pediatric allergist--for treatment. I discussed adverse effects for all medications with the allergist.

Like others, Dr. Allergist said there were none for either Singulair OR Zyrtec. My daughter had been prescribed childrens' Claratin (Rx for liquid form) by a pediatrician when she was 5 and exhibited the same behavioral and learning problems she now has for Singulair and Zyrtec. Again, Dr. Allergist said there were no side effects, that Claratin had a different active ingredient (I don't recall the name, something like lurderine) and to keep away from online Web sites, as they will only scare me. Ha! She also said ignoring my daughter's asthma posed greater harm than treating it. This is for a child whose asthma was non-existant until she began Claratin.

From my research, I'm wondering if the meds used to treat allergies and asthma actually contribute to lung ailments. Since starting these "meds," my daughter has had pneumonia and bronchitis. She did not have any lung ailments prior to Claratin. In fact, she was perfectly healthy.

Has your child experienced the same? Have you?

As another alternative for action, I am contacting my PTA and am pushing from that direction. These meds affect our children's abilities to learn. Teachers care. I urge all parents to discuss your situation with your child's teacher and push an agenda with your PTA. Collectively, the PTA can be an influence (it already has a nationally recognized presence with solid reputation). Forget the medical community (for now--drug reps "buy" doctors). I am telling friends whose kids have asthma about Web sites. I am writing to my Senators and the FDA as well.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post. We can collectively push forward to get action soon for our children. Please, do not just sit and read. Take action. Your kids need you to.

Hi everyone,

i need to tell you about what just happened to me, because it seems most people are definitely not informed of all the possible side effects of prednisone - not only just relating to the dose of prednisone you take but also for how long.

I have been using prednisone for almost 14 years now, the doctors all tell me i'm unlikely to ever get off prednisone now because i've been on it too long. I know all about it's usual side effects (water retention, mood swings, thinning of all tissues including blood, acne, anemia, etc etc).

One side effect i was not advised of, not even in any educational material about prednisone either, was that long-term dependence can lead to Acute Adrenal Crisis. Which is deadly if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Thus i nearly died two weeks ago. I became rapidly ill with vague symptoms that i now know are symptoms of acute adrenal crisis. *THE ONLY REASON THE ACUTE ADRENAL CRISIS OCCURRED WAS BECAUSE OF LONG-TERM USE OF PREDNISONE*. Not many doctors will warn patients in advance of this. It is however, very very important that people are aware that long-term use of prednisone needs to be very carefully weighed with the benefits of using prednisone (i was started on prednisone in 1995 to treat severe Crohn's Disease).

Acute adrenal crisis can happen over weeks, months or years - in other words, it can come on so slowly that by the time you know there's something wrong you're already very very ill and in great danger.

I am very glad to have found this website and i hope you will all refer anyone who has any experience with prednisone to this site - education and knowledge is power - the power to stay alive.

(by the way, the treatment for acute adrenal crisis is to load up on prednisone - seems i'll probably never be free of this drug unless i can get my adrenal glands to begin working again (as prednisone "takes over" for the adrenal glands and they effectively go to sleep, and this is especially true for long-term use)).

My sympathies to everyone who has to go through the many nasty experiences with prednisone, especially the young children (I had to start it when i was 16). It really does mess with your body and mind, and in my case, became lethal.

Please pass on all your information relating to use of prednisone to everyone you can - it really is that important and seems to be the only way to avoid most of the disasters related to prednisone use.

take care everyone,
Linda
(Australia)

Was prescribed this for insomnia. 5mg no problem, which is why I asked for a bigger dosage. 10mg makes me "happy" and then tired and then sleep, always with dreams and almost always nightmarish (scary) which diminish into weird and once awake am left groggy. I now take Ambien with no nightmares or after effects.

I have been on Singulair for 2 1/2 years for asthma. Although it didn't totally get my asthma under control, it lessened it a lot. (it took me getting on Advair along with Singulair to almost completely cut my dependence on albuterol inhalers to stop my asthma attacks.) A few months back I was feeling so great that I wasn't having any attacks that I decided I could stop taking Singulair. BIG MISTAKE. Within 5 days my wheezing had returned, I had a significant asthma attack that landed me in the emergency room. Moral of that story: DON'T QUIT YOUR MEDS UNLESS YOU CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR. I do have the dry mouth side effect but that's a small price to pay to be able to breathe without struggle. I live in a large city where I'm always subjected to pollution and I thank God every day for Singulair and Advair.

Advair works great for me! It has significantly reduced my dependence on a rescue inhaler. Like the other said, I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore with asthma attacks. However, I've been noticing that I've been insanely hungry lately. It's ok though - I'd rather be able to breath. I just have to be vigilant when it comes to food and exercise.